Collaborating for collective value: a mentoring perspective

Innovation today is seen to be driven by the cooperation between individuals in innovation ecosystems, but significant inertia, sub-optimal structures and understanding of how and why collaboration is practiced in many cases blocks innovation. In this conceptual and exploratory paper we argue that achieving high value added innovation requires mentored transitions through which low value market pricing relational models are replaced by communal sharing ones that enable high joint value creation. Through relational models and stakeholder theory and three illustrative case studies, we propose that design thinking methods can support these mentored transitions through the development of individual and social capabilities, enabling integrating, translating and expanding roles in the mentoring process. The paper contributes to the knowledge and application of relational models in innovation ecosystems through the mentoring perspective and the application of design thinking in developing high value added innovations.